Our Time Has Come
by Nothing You Can Prove
Summary: The truth is a hard thing to come by, something Kira Shepard and her friends know all too well. With the Reaper threat removed and Shepard in a critical condition, they decide it is time for everything to be revealed.
1. The Essence of Truth

**Hello one and all, a warm welcome to you from both myself and tylerbamafan34, my talented co-writer and the one who originally suggested the idea. This is the first Mass Effect fanfiction for me, and I believe for Tyler as well. As some of you may know, I have been working at the LIS fandom for a while and Tyler has his own Assassin's Creed story up. It is going to be an amazing experience writing this as we both love the series to pieces and are looking forward to contributing our efforts to the Mass Effect fandom.**

 **The story shall be following canon to an extent as a guideline, however there will be a few spanners in the works here and there. As far as romances are concerned, this is to be confirmed. We shall most likely be including some, yet we have not decided who specifically yet. There may be several pairings, depending on what the story calls for.**

 **Without further ado, let us begin.** **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Prologue: The Essence of Truth**

 **Shadow Broker's ship. Between the Sol and Widow systems. 7:30 S.E.T 2186**

Six Months. That's how long it took the galaxy to start returning to some semblance of normalcy after the Reaper War. Life was slowly starting to return to normal, although not unchanged. People were more tolerant, wearier of fighting, and ready for peace.

Initially, everyone thought it would be impossible for things to go back to how they were prior to all the bloodshed. So many good people had been lost because of the mindless violence. Men, women and children of all different races and species had been mercilessly mown down… no-one had been spared.

The landscape would forever be scarred and defined by the carnage. It would take many years for any signs of plant and animal life to return to the scorched wastelands that had once been the home of thriving civilizations. The aftermath of war would haunt the minds and dreams of those people who had lived through the horrors, and the consequences of every single decision made would not go without their repercussions.

However, this had not signaled the end of our existence. We refused to obediently roll over and die. We fought on, our resolve only strengthened. From the destruction came rebirth, from the ashes that had settled on the battlefields came hope, from the immense pain of loss came the determination to rebuild, but also to improve.

Gloved fingers danced lightly along the holographic interfaces, as blue eyes scanned information that filtered in through all corners of the galaxy, "Glyph," Liara said quietly, "make note of the Alliance facilities closest to rebuilding. Redirect construction efforts after their headquarters are completed."

The little holographic droid chirped a "Yes doctor T'Soni." and gleamed as he manipulated her data streams.

For what felt like the thousandth time, she flickered her gaze over the screen that was monitoring the vitals of the hero who'd saved them all.

There had been no end of questions after the worst of the fallout had passed. Everyone wondered how one woman could have changed the fate of the entire galaxy. Liara had to admit, that if she didn't know Shepard so intimately, she would have been asking the same question. From the perspective of an outsider, it would seem like a fanciful fairy tale, the dashing hero riding in and almost single-handedly defeating the bad guys and saving the galaxy...

However, Liara had seen what no-one else had... the real Commander Shepard.

She had been inside Shepard's head, more than once. She had seen the innermost workings of her mind, experienced her thoughts and feelings, seen the demons she had been hiding from the rest of the world… and Shepard had many a demon to face. Her long struggle with the Reapers had only added to them.

Despite all the odds, Shepard had managed it. No-one had believed her, but that had not deterred her. She had pushed herself to the limit, a limit that Liara was sure no-one else would have been able to reach. She had endangered her life so many times that they had all lost count long ago. It seemed that she could not go five minutes without being in some kind of life threatening situation. At one time, Garrus had mused that they should keep a tally... Tali had quickly reprimanded him, citing there wouldn't be enough space for it. Garrus had conceded the point.

Liara sighed tiredly as she thought that half of these incidents could have been avoided had everyone just enacted upon Shepard's advice in the first place.

She continued to type away at her terminal, adjusting plans and creating files for the new players in the galaxy in the wake of the Reaper War. Some were surprisingly familiar faces, such as Tali being one of the leaders of the Quarian people, and Garrus was actually a SPECTRE now, taking care of the Normandy and her crew in Shepard's absence.

They had certainly all come a long way since they first met Shepard, especially her. Liara thought back to how she used to be and couldn't help but smile. She had been so naive, but she knew better now… all of them did.

She glanced over at the time.

 **8:40 am**

She had scheduled that damn press conference for 9. Just as she was about to start getting ready for that, a torrent of electronic beeps filled the air. She glanced over to one of the many screens in her room. Her eyes were met with a flood of mail.

 _Only 1236 this morning, it appears we are falling behind,_ she thought, her lips quirking up into a small smile.

There had been so much mail for Shepard ever since the Reapers had been destroyed, all of which had gone through Liara. She had been slowly working her way through sorting it out, sometimes with the help of her fellow crew members, some of whom had been more helpful than others.

Garrus had a habit of sabotaging her plans to get organized. In fact, the other day he sent the Council a rather unseemly photo, one which made Liara revoke his answering privileges, at least to official mail. She had to admit, it had been funny, yet equally mortifying.

Thankfully, Garrus was more than happy to reserve his lewd sense of humor for answering inane questions from the press. She still refused to leave her computer unattended… just in case. She had Glyph police that and programmed him to give a nasty shock to those who dared tamper with her efforts to keep things at least relatively systematized and formal.

Between the crew, they must have replied to millions, if not billions of mail from all over the galaxy, yet every day there was more. That is not even to mention the gifts they had received. Shepard did indeed have a large fan-base, but with that also brought a vast amount of hate. It had not been outside the realms of possibility for her to receive a gift with malicious intent. Additionally, a lot of the gifts Shepard would never see, not with Joker around pilfering them. He did have a sweet tooth.

She decided that looking at the mail would only serve to make her late, so she began to make the necessary preparations for the conference. She just hoped that everyone had taken note of her memo this morning and would act appropriately. However, this was something she highly doubted.

* * *

 **Citadel - 8:56 am**

Never had the Citadel seen so much activity, and that was saying something considering how busy it usually was. Crowds filled every square inch, the people eagerly waiting for answers. If anyone thought the Citadel had been a racial melting pot before, it was nothing compared to today.

People from every species, from Krogan to Turian, Asari to Salarian, had turned out for this. _It was hardly surprising really_ , Liara reflected calmly making her way to the raised platform where at least fifteen chairs and been set up. _Especially as everyone wants answers._

As she approached, she was intercepted by Garrus, "Was starting to wonder if you'd show." The Turian quipped "Bad form for the host to be late."

"Well, if I hadn't had to sort everyone else out, I would have been on time. Besides, it makes a nice change for it to be me who is late."

Liara stared accusingly at Garrus, who grinned cheekily in response, "What can I say? I am always fashionably late."

She shook her head, smiling at his words. No matter how dire things had been, Garrus had always been there to lighten the mood, even if it had not been appropriate at times… well most of the time really.

"I think you need to review your definition of fashionably."

Voices carried over from the right. Liara turned to see a heavily tattooed and pierced woman. The sides of her head were shaved, while the rest of her dark hair was drawn back into a high ponytail. She wore dark pants and a studded leather jacket with white bandages covering parts of her exposed skin. She was leaning casually against a railing, a sly smirk crossing her features, "Oh look, it's the Cerberus cheerleader. Long time no see," she said teasingly.

Another woman walked up to her. She had long black hair that curved gracefully over her shoulders, light blue eyes and curves that even Liara -who was not self-conscious by any means- envied. The skin tight white and black clothing she wore only served to accentuate her curves. Her accent was distinctive as she spoke, "It's nice to see you too, Jack." _Miranda,_ Liara identified her after a bit of thought, _Kira's XO for the Collector mission._

"How are the students?" the former Cerberus agent asked as she casually crossed her arms over her chest, "I imagine they're relieved to get back to normal life."

Jack snorted, "Still haven't lost your talent for understatement, have you?"

Jack and Miranda would never be best friends… or even friends for that matter, however they had been more civil to one another recently. That was more than likely aided by Kira, _she always did have a talent for making people get along._

Tali spoke up from her quick conversation with Wrex, "I think we should all be glad for it to be honest," she quickly strode away from the old Krogan, attaching her shotgun to her lower back along the way. Her slightly electronic voice filled the air, only her eyes visible through her mask, "It's good to see you both again."

Wrex's rumbling laughter echoed loudly, "Rare to see everyone together like this," he grunted.

It was indeed a strange sight to behold. Ever since Shepard had been hospitalized, everyone had gone their separate ways. Liara had been in contact with everybody and had managed to meet up with them, some more than others, however this was the first time in months they had all been in the same place.

The remaining Normandy crew began to file in, some looking more relaxed than others. They gave each other awkward smiles as they all took their seats. Liara looked over to her right to see a woman with a kind face. She was almost the spitting image of Kira, if a little older. Liara knew her as Hannah Shepard, the mother of the woman who saved the galaxy. She caught Liara's gaze and offered up a small hesitant smile. It was apparent from her hunched over shoulders that she was not used to the spotlight. Liara smiled reassuringly at her in response. This seemed to help her relax a little, but not much. Being in the spotlight was not really something you got used to.

A little further down the line, an older man sat upright in blue alliance uniform. He certainly looked as if he had seen war, his lined scar covered face overlooking the crowd with a somber expression. Admiral Steven Hackett, following the victory against Harbinger and his forces had been promoted to the head of the Alliance Military.

The crowd went silent, everyone poised and ready for their questions to be finally answered, to dissect every single action of one woman…

Commander Kira Shepard.

Liara took a breath, and turned so that she was fully facing the crowd as Admiral Hackett stood. Hackett's gaze swept across the crowd, his steely grey eyes taking in every face, "Today," he began slowly, "is a day for truth," his voice seemed to have a quality that instantly quieted even the rowdiest of the enormous crowds, every single pair of eyes on him, "Six months ago, we fought an enemy that seemed to appear from the darkness of our worst nightmares. We won. But only just," he paused for a moment, the audience completely captivated by every single word he spoke, "The Reapers, were always there. Always waiting. And were it not for Shepard's actions, none of us would be alive right now," his gaze was stern, reprimanding, and zeroed in on the Council in a private booth. They did not meet his gaze, "Somewhere along the way," he continued, "truth got lost in legend. Shepard's reputation and deeds eclipsed her voice -which was arguably her most important asset. It's time for the truth to come to light. Once and for all."

There was a single cheer from the audience, one that soon exploded into an almost unified voice, "We want the truth!"

The press was stood at the front, their cameras and microphones pushed as close to the admiral as possible, waiting for his words with bated breath. The admiral did not appear to be phased by this as he pressed on, his voice clear and booming, "To help deliver it, I've turned to the people who were with Shepard from the very first discovery of the Reaper threat. And, beyond that. The people who Shepard herself described as her closest friends."

He glanced back to those people sat on the stage. They were the most unlikely looking group, but all had been brought together under Shepard, all had been loyal and all had helped to destroy the Reaper threat.

"SPECTRE Garrus Vakarian." The Turian gave a mock salute, fringes fluttering in a Turian approximation of a grin.

"SPECTRE Nihlus Kryk." Shepard's mentor merely leaned forward, folding his claws in front of his face with a contemplative eye.

"General Miranda Lawson." The perfect human specimen stood and gave a bow. A few wolf-whistles erupted from the crowd as she did so.

"Doctor Liara T'soni." Liara gave a slightly empirical nod, feeling pleased with herself for making some of the crowd fidget under her gaze.

"SPECTRE Ashley Williams." The second human spectre merely gave a smirk and a two fingered salute, looking far more casual than when Liara had last seen her.

"Urdnot Wrex." The large, red skinned Krogan gave a bloodthirsty grin, chuckling at the uncomfortable reactions he'd elicited from the press. "Works every time," he grunted, amused.

"Jacob Taylor." The African-American man smiled, inclining his head politely.

"Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy." Tali fidgeted slightly, resisting the urge to duck behind Wrex's more imposing form. The girl had never really taken to the attention that came with the rank of Admiral. Though she did the job commendably.

"Jack." The former convict gave off the air of a woman whose problems were long behind her, exuding a calm confidence that she wouldn't have been able to pretend to have a couple of years ago.

"Urdnot Grunt." The tank born Krogan crashed his fists together menacingly, seemingly trying to outdo the reaction Wrex had received. His actions had indeed caused many a person to look worried. He smiled to himself, happy with his effort.

"Samara." The Asari justicar stood and offered a curt nod before returning to her seat. She had always been a woman of few words, however around Shepard she had seemed to be more willing to speak.

"Lieutenant Commander James Vega." The marine had his arms crossed over his -admittedly impressive- chest, a light cocky smirk dancing across his face. He seemed to find the need for this conference pretty amusing.

"Javik of the Protheans." The sole remnant of the elder species merely blinked. His four eyes always alert as he scanned for threats. His intense gaze caused several people in the front row to squirm awkwardly.

"And I'm sure Kasumi is around here somewhere." Hackett allowed himself a smirk at divulging the thief's name, and Liara heard a quiet " _Damn you"_ from the far end of the row.

"And finally, Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard." The woman looked away from the many eyes that had turned to her at the mention of her name. She focused her gaze on the floor, waiting for their attention to become focused elsewhere.

Hackett cleared his throat to re-capture the audience's attention, his raspy voice confident and composed, "Now that we have dealt with the formalities, let us begin. Dr T'soni, if you would."

Hackett motioned with his arm to show Liara she had the stage and returned to his seat. She stood up and walked to where Hackett had once stood. She was uncertain how the Admiral had managed to remain so calm under the camera eye. She tried to ignore their presence, took a few deep breaths to calm her shaking nerves and started the impassioned speech she had been preparing almost ever since the Reaper threat had been eradicated.

"You all know why we are here, so I won't waste your time with that any more than saying that we are here because of one woman. One woman who wouldn't back down and let sleeping dogs lie. One woman who opened her heart and mind. One woman..."

She paused for dramatic effect here, just like she had practiced a million times with Glyph. She briefly glanced around to ensure her words were being taken as planned. Everyone appeared to be on the edge of their seats, waiting for her to continue.

"Her name is Kira Shepard. She is the reason I can talk in front of you now, the reason you are stood here. She put her body and life on the line so that we would see another day. Today," Liara's confidence was growing with every word she spoke, "You may have heard many things about Shepard, some good, some bad. Most, if not all of them are complete lies. Lies born out of jealousy, anger or…" she looked over to the Council. The audience picked up on this and their eyes turned to the Council. Liara would make it her aim to make sure the Council knew the severity of what their denials had almost cost the entire galaxy, "... an attempt to hide those who are truly at fault."

She looked back out over the sea of faces, "As you all know, Shepard is currently in an unstable condition."

Liara's voice broke slightly at this. She had visited Shepard several times in the past few months. Each time she had looked terrible. The image of her bruised and broken body from the first time Liara visited her would forever be emblazoned in her mind. She shook this thought away and continued.

"Even now, Shepard is still fighting for her life, the life she was willing to sacrifice for each and every one of us. I think the very least we owe her is the truth," Liara shifted her weight a little from one side to the other, closing her eyes momentarily and composing her thoughts, "The truth is a hard thing to come by these days. I will not glorify Shepard, for she was not without her quirks. For one, her dancing skills were… how should I put this? Slightly lacking."

This notion caused those on stage to chuckle, as well as the members of the audience. Shepard was well known for her… unique dancing style. Jack spoke up, a huge smug grin on her face, "You can say that again."

Liara waited for everyone to die down before continuing, "The reason we are here is to give you everything, the whole unaltered truth. That is it. No gimmicks, no ulterior motives… simply the truth. I fear we may disappoint a few of you. I have heard some very elaborate stories concerning Shepard, all very exciting, yet sadly untrue."

"On the bright side-" Garrus piped in, "the truth is even stranger than fiction."

The group nodded in agreement. They had indeed seen some very strange things, things no-one could have ever made up, even if they had tried. Shepard had always seemed to attract the weird and wonderful… which usually meant trouble was not too far around the corner.

Liara smiled to herself when remembering all the bizarre situations she had gotten into around Shepard, most of which she couldn't believe and she had been there to experience them, "I believe that I have spoken enough for now about the generalities. Now, before we actually begin on our adventures, we must first set the scene as it were. In order to truly understand Shepard, to see her motivations and explain her actions, we must look further back to before all this began… back to Shepard herself."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. We both hope you have an awesome day, look after yourselves and we shall see you next time.**

 **Olivia and Tyler**


	2. Genesis

**Hey everyone. We hope you are doing well today. We want to dedicate a couple chapters to Shepard's background, as this isn't fully explored in Mass Effect. Once this is done, we shall be continuing with the canon story as a guideline. One part of this chapter is going to get very Mass Effect lore heavy (discuss Rachni War, Krogan Rebellions, Genophage etc). It took forever to get everything straight. Let me just say, thank god for the Mass Effect wiki.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Genesis**

 **Citadel/Presidium/Press Conference 2186 9:33**

As Hannah Shepard took the stand her heart began to race. There was an immense pressure on her shoulders. She could feel the gaze of every single person on her. She took a sip from the water bottle beside her feet to try and wet her throat.

She gazed out over the crowd, taking in the eager faces who waited to hear about her daughter's childhood. Part of her thought this was in bad taste. Her daughter was still fighting for her life and all anyone wanted to do was completely dissect her. However, the other part of her wanted to set the records straight. Some people had tried to vilify Kira, make her out to be the devil incarnate. Hannah knew this couldn't be further from the truth. Kira had always been such a kind child, eager to help in any way. That is what she had to relay today.

She had some prompt cards, which shook slightly as she held them. She clenched her fists a little to steady them and began to speak from the heart, "It is my task here today to discuss my daughter's childhood," she took a shaky breath and pressed on, "Kira had an unsettled childhood due to our Alliance careers, never really spending much time in any one location."

She recalled the first time they had to relocate when Kira was six, three years after first contact had been made…

* * *

 **23rd June 2160 (Kira Aged 6)**

Hannah felt a small tug at her leg as she packed up the few belongs she had. She looked down to see Kira there. She frowned at Hannah, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "Mom, do we have to leave?"

Hannah had dreaded this question. She had half hoped Kira would not ask this. She didn't want to tell her daughter that they had to leave and were probably never come back. It was hard enough for Hannah to leave, let alone her six year old daughter.

She bent down and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. Kira stared up at her with big piercing green eyes. She had already perfected her intense gaze, something she had inherited from her father, Jason.

Hannah remembered the first time Jason and her met. They had belonged to different units and just happened to have coinciding shore leave. Their units had all gone to have a drink to let off some steam. If she remembered correctly, the first impression she had of Jason was from his dancing, something Kira had been unfortunate enough to inherit. He ended up making a total fool of himself, but at least seemed like he enjoyed himself. She had actually been a little jealous at how he was able to just do as he liked without worrying about the scrutiny of others.

Then, what did you know? Their units had a few missions together. As soon as he realized Hannah had seen him that night, he was unsurprisingly embarrassed. Apparently that had been his first time drinking heavily. After the initial embarrassment and the odd teasing from his unit, they had started to strike up conversation.

His stare used to make her feel so uneasy. She had lost count of how many times she had stuttered and fumbled under his gaze, especially the first few times they had spoken properly. Once she had gotten used to it, she actually found it very endearing. He was taking in every feature, committing it to memory. He had intelligent eyes, ones that appeared to probe your very soul. She did not usually like attention, but from him she didn't mind.

Hannah gently rubbed Kira's shoulders, her voice soothing, "I'm afraid so."

Kira looked down at the floor, scuffing her feet along it. Hannah had told her on several occasions not to do this. Kira had already gotten through three pairs of boots because of this bad habit of hers, and they weren't cheap by any means. However, Hannah thought she should let it go this time. She swallowed her scoldings. Kira was such a good child that she felt bad telling her off anyway. Kira rarely complained and was well behaved.

Kira hunched her shoulders a little and mumbled, not meeting her eyes, "Why?"

Hannah lifted her chin up gently, making Kira look at her. It took Kira a little while to actually focus on Hannah. She tried to look away a few times, but eventually gave up trying to evade Hannah's gaze when she realized Hannah wasn't going away any time soon.

"Because mommy and daddy have to for their job."

Kira seemed to really think over this, her face scrunched up a little in thought. Hannah could almost see Kira's thought process as she looked into her eyes. She bit her lip, chewing it a little as she thought. She suddenly spoke up again, "Will we have to move a lot?"

Hannah had the feeling that as time passed, their moving would only become more frequent. The only reason they had been allowed to stay in one place for so long was for Kira's sake. Ideally, it would have been nice to stay for at least another year or two, but that just wasn't possible any more.

Hannah offered her a sad smile, "I think we will."

Kira wiped at her eyes, getting rid of the few tears that had fallen. She never had been one for crying. Even as a baby, she had been fairly quiet… thankfully. Hannah had heard so many horror stories about having children. Parents wandering around like zombies due to sleep deprivation after their child screamed most of the night. Sure, Kira had her moments, but in general she was a very quiet and reserved child.

Kira sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve, yet another thing Hannah would normally reprimand her for, but just couldn't given the circumstances, "I'll… I'll be staying with you and daddy though, right?"

Hannah drew Kira in and hugged her tight. Hannah wandered how long Kira had been worrying about this. Jason and her would never leave Kira behind, even if it meant they would have to quit the Alliance. Family meant everything to Jason and Hannah.

She placed her mouth close to Kira's ear and whispered so only she could hear, "Yes. Of course, silly. We wouldn't ever leave you willingly. We would fight to stay together… as a family."

Hannah felt Kira's arms around her. They did not quite reach all the way round. Kira gripped on tight to Hannah's top. After a moment, she pulled away, the tears long gone. There was a pain in Hannah's heart as she realized that Kira was hardening in a way. She was growing up much quicker than she should have to… but maybe this was not necessarily a bad thing. Kira would have to learn some day. Still, Hannah would have liked her to remain a child for a little longer.

"I should go back to packing," Kira announced decisively and ran off down the corridor, bashing straight into her father. He almost spilled the coffee he was holding. He managed steady himself and reached down to ruffle Kira's black locks.

"Slow down, squirt."

Kira grinned up at her father apologetically, "Sorry, dad."

Before he had the chance to say anything else, she had already run off out of sight. He shook his head while smiling, "She sure is energetic this morning. I'll assume she is ok about moving?"

Hannah exhaled deeply, rubbing her temples, "Sort of. I think she was more worried that we would be leaving her."

Jason sighed, running his fingers tiredly over his shaved head, "I wish we didn't have to keep on the move. It would have been nice for Kira to have somewhere to call home. Maybe one day soon we can take her to Earth, if we can get the time off."

Hannah had not been back to Earth in a long time. It would be nice for all of them to go there, even if it were just for a few days to get some well-deserved R&R, "That would be nice for all of us."

Jason came over to Hannah and placed a brief kiss on her cheek. He gazed deeply into her eyes… those eyes she had come to adore, "We'll get there one day. I promise."

* * *

 _Except, they hadn't._

Hannah's heart felt heavy at this thought. She pressed on, despite her reservations. She was unsure as to whether she actually could tell the whole story. She would try though… for her daughter's sake.

She cleared her throat and continued, "Over the next few years, she grew to be a highly independent, yet loyal little girl. She found it difficult to speak with the other children her age, given the fact that she just hadn't spent much time around them. Those she did manage to connect with, she held dear and would have done anything for them. Some tried to abuse her kindness… something she did not forgive easily."

Hannah thought back to the many times Kira had gotten in trouble to protect a friend. She did not care much for herself, however if someone tried to hurt her friends, they would regret it. In that regard, she had not changed.

* * *

 **19th September 2164 (Kira Aged 10)**

Hannah had received a call from one of Kira's teachers asking her to come in for a meeting. They had been very sketchy on the details and it had worried her. Jason had also been informed. They both rushed to the room specified to find Kira sitting in front of a desk, swinging her legs. When she heard the door creak open, she turned to face them, "Hi mom. Hi dad."

She didn't look happy, but at least she wasn't hurt. Jason and Hannah both let out a breath they had been holding in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shepard."

Hannah turned her head to meet the stern gaze of an imposing man. Jason took a step forward and spoke, "What is going on? Why have you called us here?"

The man lethargically signaled for them to take a seat. They drew up two chairs, Kira sandwiched in the middle. The man clasped his hands together, his elbows on his desk, "Your daughter has been involved in a fight with one of the other children," Jason and Hannah exchanged glances. Both of them knew that Kira was not a violent child. She rarely even raised her voice, let alone got involved in a physical confrontation. The man continued, "The child in question has had to go to the medical ward to receive stitches. Eight of them."

An inappropriate thought crossed Hannah's mind at that moment. She was impressed that Kira could actually cause that much damage. It would seem that her training, along with the extra time John and her had spent with Kira had paid off.

Hannah looked down at Kira, who just stared at her feet. Kira hated being involved in any kind of confrontation, just like Hannah, so this made little sense, "May I ask what the reason for this fight was?"

The man leaned back in his chair, looking bored, "According to the child, Kira attacked them for no reason."

Again, this did not sound like something Kira would do. Hannah was not going to say that resorting to violence was the correct thing to do, however there had to be a reason.

Hannah turned to Kira, "And what do you say, sweetie?"

Kira finally looked up, her eyes showing no fear and hiding nothing, "He was hurting Malcolm. I told him to stop, but he didn't listen. I tried to stop him without hurting him like you showed me, but then he started trying to hit me. I pushed him away and he tripped over and hit his head. I didn't want to hurt him, but he just wouldn't stop. I only meant to get him away."

The man shook his head in disdain. Jason piped up from his chair, "Have you asked the other kids who were there?"

The man crossed his arms and gave an icy look, "I don't have time to question every single child, Mr. Shepard. I am a member of the military, not a nanny. I suggest you teach your child how to behave appropriately in the future."

Jason looked as if he were about to protest, which would only cause more trouble. Hannah reached over and placed a hand on his arm, her eyes pleading him to let it go for now, "Jason…"

He sighed and bit his tongue. The man cleared his throat and looked down his nose at Kira, "Seeing as how this is the first incident, we shall not be acting up it. However, if there is any more trouble there will be consequences. Do you understand?" the man brought up his omni-tool, clicked a few things -likely making adjustments to her record- and dismissed them with a wave.

"Yes, sir."

Hannah had to stifle a proud smile. Even though this man was being a complete asshole, Kira still managed to keep calm and collected. Jason got up and grabbed Kira's hand, "Come on, squirt. Let's go."

She got up from her chair and held on tight to her father's hand. She reached out for Hannah's hand as well as they walked out of the office. There was a shuffling noise from a little way down the corridor. A young boy, who must have been around the same age as Kira, appeared from the darkness, "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry you got in trouble for it."

Kira let go of her parent's hands and walked up to the boy. She offered him a warm smile, "No problem. I hate bullies like him. We gotta stick together and help each other out."

The boy returned her smile shyly, then rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I wish everyone did that. There were lots of us there, but no-one did anything, except you."

Kira crossed her arms, "Well, if they ever start hassling you again, just find me."

The boy's blue eyes widened in shock, his voice hushed as if he were telling a secret, "But won't you get in trouble again?"

Kira shrugged, "I'm not scared. It's better to look out for people than stupid rules anyway."

The boy looked down at his feet, "I wish I could be brave like that," he muttered.

Kira moved closer to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, "You can be if you want to be."

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "Can you teach me?"

Kira grinned, "Sure."

* * *

Malcolm had been Kira's first proper friend. He used to follow her everywhere. They were joined at the hip. It was kind of cute to see them together. Jason always teased them about it. He could be a real pain for things like that, but that's why they loved him. Jason had such a huge influence on Kira… not all good.

"Despite all the moving and busy careers, my husband and I managed to find time to teach Kira everything we knew. She had an insatiable curiosity and was always keen to learn, some may say too keen. I believe that anyone who has had the… pleasure of being in a vehicle while my daughter drove can vouch for her… enthusiasm."

This elicited a collective groan from every single one of the group on the stage.

"You call that driving?" Garrus asked incredulously, "I was convinced she was trying to kill us at one point!"

"Maybe she'd just had enough of your terrible jokes, Garrus. I think we've all thought about it at one point," Wrex rumbled, a smirk crossing his features, "it was still better than yours."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, although Shepard's "driving" did come a very close second.

"Well, thanks for the support everyone. I feel so loved," the Turian said while trying his hardest to look offended, but he could never stay serious for too long. Life was too short for that.

Hannah still remembered when she had let Jason teach Kira to drive. She had been desperate to know the basics, and Hannah had so foolishly entrusted her husband to teach her.

* * *

 **3rd November 2167 (Kira Aged 13)**

"Mom, hurry up," Kira impatiently pulled at Hannah's arm.

"Ok, hold on."

Kira pouted a little, "But I wanna show you my progress."

She had gotten the idea into her head that she wanted to learn and had been pestering them for weeks as soon as she turned 13. Eventually, they had given in. Jason had managed to commandeer one of the outdated Alliance simulations for Kira to practice with. This way, she would not cause any real damage while still getting the full experience. The Alliance possessed many different simulations, mostly for combat training for recruits. Recruits came from all walks of life and therefore had different experiences.

Jason readied the simulation, making a few final tweaks to it. When he had finished, he turned to them and grinned, "All aboard."

They all entered the static vehicle. As they did so, the screen before them activated and a rough sandy terrain appeared. Jason sat back in his chair and glanced over to Kira, "Remember Kira, just like I showed you."

Kira brushed aside her father's interferences, "Dad, quit it. I've got this."

Kira interacted with the interface, her fingers clumsily jabbing at it. The picture on the screen suddenly jerked forward violently. Even though the vehicle itself didn't move, the motion on screen still made Hannah a little sick to her stomach. She was thankful that this was only a simulation.

Kira turned around and smiled apologetically, "Sorry. That one doesn't count. I'll do it properly this time."

Kira had a focused and determined glint in her eyes as she tried again. The image on screen lurched forward, stopping abruptly every few seconds before she finally got it going. Hannah thought that it would be smooth sailing from here, but this was just the beginning of the driving nightmare.

They appeared to fly in the air for a moment, possibly from hitting a rock, the image wobbling as Kira pressed the controls. Hannah wondered how they had not had to re-start the simulation yet given Kira's interesting approach to driving.

Hannah found herself gripping onto her chair at the very thought of actually having to experience these maneuvers in real life. She hoped she never would. She glanced over at the various screens, seeing a lot of worrying data. Every now and then, an error message appeared or a light flashed as Kira "drove". The simulation suddenly shut down, the screen flashing before turning black. Kira sat there staring at it, looking a little confused and sad.

Jason gently taps her chin, "Chin up, squirt. This is an outdated simulation, so it's probably on its last legs. They malfunction so quickly. One day, we'll get you in a real vehicle. Simulations are always different from the real deal. I find them harder."

Hannah looked at Jason skeptically. On second thoughts, maybe it had been a mistake to let him teach her. She had hoped that since they were using a simulation, he could have taught her the correct techniques. Jason knew them, it was just his execution when in a real life situation that had always been lacking.

"Tell that to the poor unsuspecting crew members who have had to experience your 'driving'. I don't think the galaxy is ready for our daughter to be unleashed. Besides, I am unsure as to whether they will ever make a vehicle sturdy enough for her."

Kira looked a little bummed out from her performance. Jason rolled his eyes playfully in her direction, causing her to giggle, "People like your mother don't understand our unique driving approach."

Hannah crossed her arms and shook her head, her face strained from suppressing a smile, "Unique is one word for it."

Jason smirked at Hannah's musings. He turned his attention back to Kira, "The real problem is that they haven't developed the right vehicle. The Alliance needs vehicles that can withstand a little wear and tear. They are in the process of developing the M29 'Grizzly'. I reckon that might just be the one for us."

Kira still appeared to be unhappy with her effort. She did not deal with defeat very well. Sometimes, she sat there for days in order to perfect whatever she was working on. Her persistence and determination was unrivalled, maybe only by her father. While sometimes this would be infuriating to deal with their stubbornness, Hannah had no doubts that Kira would achieve great things because of it, just like her father.

Hannah turned to Kira and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kira, don't look sad. You did better than the first time your father and I went for a drive," she remembered the day very vividly, her stomach churning at the memory, "Just keep at it. I know you can do it. Just try to take the driving advice your dad gives you with a pinch of salt."

Jason gently nudged Hannah on the arm, "Hey."

Hannah laughed at his expression of mock hurt, one that both Kira and Jason joined in on. Jason was more than prepared to enjoy a laugh at his own expense. That was one of the reasons she loved him so much. Everyone always took themselves so seriously, especially in the Alliance. Jason had been a breath of fresh air for everyone around him. If anything, as he made his way up the ranks his humor only became more prominent and defined.

He patted Kira on the back, smiling proudly at her, "Come on. Let's go get some grub."

* * *

"My husband Jason was a huge influence on our daughter's life. And in the end… I think he was the reason she joined the Alliance in the first place."

Hannah was sure that Jason was nearly the only reason for Kira joining the Alliance. He never pushed her towards it and always encouraged her to do what she wanted, that just so happened to be a career in the Alliance. She saw the good work her father did and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Jason saved a lot of lives because of his dedication.

Hannah remembered Jason spending great amounts of time talking to Kira about the galaxy and answering every single question she had. Hannah thought that Jason himself had learnt a thing or two in the quest to sate Kira's curiosity, and he did have an extensive knowledge already.

* * *

 **23rd April 2168 (Kira Aged 14)**

Jason, Kira and Hannah were all sat at the table eating. They always ensured to have dinner as a family where possible. It was one of the few times they could be together as a family given their busy schedules. Kira had long since finished her food, but she waited for her parents to finish before going back to playing. She swung her feet as she sat there.

A thought crossed her mind, as they often did. She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and her father seemed to know everything. She had heard someone talking about a Krogan Rebellion earlier, but they didn't seem to really know much about it. Kira's mind had started racing at this new information. Her father was always her first port of call when she wanted to know things.

They were just finishing up their food when Kira spoke, "Dad…"

He finished chewing then looked over to her, a little worried about what Kira was going to ask. She had a tendency to just blurt out everything she thought without much consideration to the consequences.

"Hmm…"

Kira tilted her head curiously at her father, "Can you tell me about the Krogan Rebellions?"

Jason appeared to be surprised, however this only lasted a moment. His eyes began to glisten with amusement, a small smile forming on his lips, "Of course I can, squirt. Never thought I'd see the day when someone willingly asked for the information, but I am more than happy to discuss it with you. In fact, this is a topic I feel very strongly on."

Kira shuffled in her chair and got comfortable as her father began to relay his knowledge on the topic. He placed his elbows on the table and propped his chin on his hands.

"The Krogan Rebellions occurred long before first contact, however it has affected intergalactic relations in very drastic ways and has defined the course of events in the galaxy ever since."

Kira could feel the anticipation build up inside her. She loved to learn, no matter what the topic she was ready to absorb as much information as she could.

"The cause of the Krogan Rebellions stems from the outcomes of the Rachni Wars, therefore this is where we must start in order to fully understand the events."

Kira knew that you could not simply start at the beginning of a single event to understand the reasons why it started. That is why she enjoyed learning. It was like a huge puzzle, with each new piece the image became clearer. One single piece could change the entire meaning.

"In approximately 1CE, an expedition from the council, composed of Salarian explorers, activated a dormant mass relay. This relay led to a previously unknown system, the Maskim Xul system. The system itself can be found in the Ninmah Cluster and is small, only consisting of three planets and an asteroid belt. It is here that the Citadel expedition encountered the Rachni."

Jason kick started his omni-tool and brought up a holographic representation of the Maskim Xul system. Kira had to admit that it was really small in comparison to others she had seen. He pointed to the appropriate planets as her spoke to aid with his explanations.

"The Rachni as you know, are now an extinct species originally from Suen, the first planet in the Maskim Xul system. They were intelligent, but also highly aggressive and hostile. The Rachni had extensively researched element zero they had gathered from Kashshaptu, the second planet in the Maskim Xul system. Element zero is required for FTL, faster-than-light travel, which does not involve the use of mass relays."

Kira waited with bated breath to hear the rest of the story. Jason smiled at the eagerness on her face and continued, "The Rachni captured the Citadel expedition and, using their knowledge of element zero, they managed to reverse engineer the FTL drivers of the explorers' starships. This led the Rachni to construct their own FTL vessels and allowed them to start their rapid expansion into the galaxy."

He paused for a moment, allowing Kira to digest the information he had given her. She closed her eyes, thinking over everything she had heard so far. Her eyes opened again and she stared inquisitively at her father, waiting patiently for him to speak again. Jason smiled at her enthusiasm as he pressed on.

"The Citadel's attempts at negotiation were futile, as it was impossible to make contact with their hive queen, who resided on their homeworld, Suen. It was assumed that the Rachni were irredeemable and could only be stopped by force. The Rachni however proved to be a difficult foe to defeat given their sheer number. Here is where the Krogan came into play."

Kira had heard something of the Krogan. They were a formidable species, standing over 7 feet tall, weighing at least 330 pounds. Some estimates had suggested that Krogan could reach a staggering 800 pounds in some cases. The thickness of their skin made it difficult to really hurt a Krogan and also protected them from the harsh atmosphere of their homeworld, Tuchanka. Their eyes were wide-set, giving them 240 degree vision, allowing them to avoid the aggressive predators of Tuchanka. They were renowned for their bloodlust and hardiness. Their overall appearance was terrifying, however Kira had always wanted to meet a Krogan.

"Prior to the Genophage, Krogan population growth had for a long time been limited by predation, disease and war, however this population limit allowed them to thrive culturally."

Kira wondered what kind of art and music the Krogan would have made. She hadn't seen any before, so it peaked her curiosity. She put it to the back of her mind to look at later.

"As soon as the Krogan industrialized, their birth rates exploded far beyond the capabilities of Tuchanka. The limited resources and living space led to civil wars, eventually leading to the use of weapons of mass destruction, which inevitably turned Tuchanka into a radioactive wasteland."

Kira had seen a few images of Tuchanka. The landscape had been scarred by bombardment craters, radioactive rubble, choking ash, salt flats, and alkaline seas, making it almost impossible to sustain any kind of life. It had not always been like this.

Jason took a sip of his water before continuing, "The Krogan were reduced to primitive warring clans, whose main concern was surviving a nuclear winter they themselves had created. This state of survival soon came to an end around 80CE when the Salarian found them."

The Salarian were an amphibian species, who were on average 6'5 and 150 pounds. They had long bodies and large lidless black eyes. Their heads were long and thin, with a pair of horns protruding from the top of their skull. They were usually blue or grey, at least from the pictures Kira had seen.

"The Salarian provided the Krogan with advanced technology, relocated them to a planet without lethal levels of radiation, toxins or deadly predators and even gave them a way to stabilize Tuchanka's atmosphere via the Shroud. The Krogan were able to breed quickly and in turn provided soldiers for the Rachni Wars."

Kira recalled a little on the Rachni. They were an insect like species guided by a hive-mind intelligence. She hadn't come across too much information about them, even though she had tried. It was always hard finding stuff on extinct species.

"The vast number of Krogan and their hardiness enabled them to pursue the Rachni all the way back to Suen, find the Rachni Queen and completely exterminate the species. This was officially declared by the Council in 300CE. The Citadel created a new policy prohibiting the activation of dormant mass relays leading to unchartered systems to prevent history from repeating itself."

Kira nodded, signaling that she understood what had been said so far and was ready to hear more. Jason shifted in his chair, clearing his throat.

"Just after the end of the Rachni Wars, the Krogan were heralded as the saviors of the galaxy. They were given the conquered Rachni planets, along with others as payment for their crucial help. The Citadel Council even went as far to commission a statue in the Presidium to honor those Krogan who had given their lives defending Citadel space, the Krogan Monument. However, this did not last."

Kira glanced over to her mother, who seemed to be as intrigued as Kira was. Her dad definitely had a way of captivating his audience. He leaned back in his chair, "Without the harsh conditions of Tuchanka to keep Krogan population in check, it escalated bringing with it yet again the issue of territory and resources. The Krogan began to aggressively expand into the galaxy, forcibly taking over other planets, ones that were already populated by races loyal to the Citadel."

Kira had a feeling she knew what came next. Jason began to lightly tap his fingers on the table, gathering his thoughts, "Things came to head when the Krogan reached Lusia, the first planet located in the Tomaros System in the Athena Nebula, an Asari colony. The Council ordered the Krogan to leave, but the Krogan ambassador, Overlord Kredak, stormed out of the negotiations inciting the Citadel to take their worlds back by force. This was the catalyst for the Krogan rebellions."

From what Kira knew of the Krogan, she was not surprised by this outcome. They didn't seem to be the most compromising of species, especially given their desperate situation.

"The rebellions began around 700CE. The Krogan were winning, mostly due to their unprecedented birth rate. In desperation, the Council turned to the Turians for aid."

Turians had a thick metallic exoskeleton, in addition to their interior one, due to the amount of radiation on their homeworld, Palaven. Their faces were usually marked with white, sometimes blue, tattoos or war paint. This related to their home colony and were part of tradition ever since the Unification War, a Turian civil conflict.

From the pictures she'd seen, most were a kind of grey colour. They had forward facing eyes and their teeth and jaws were not too dissimilar from crocodiles. They stood over 6 feet tall with slender bodies and possessed 2 talon like fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, with a set of mandibles around their mouth. Like the Quarians, they were made of dextro-amino acids, so had their own special food. If they ate Human, Asari or Salarian food, they could die from an allergic reaction. They also had a metallic carapace on top of their heads. Kira always giggled whenever she saw one. She'd really like to touch one.

"They proposed a solution, the Genophage. The Genophage was a powerful bioweapon created by the Salarian. In 710CE, the Genophage was unleashed. While we have little knowledge as to how the Genophage was implemented, its effects have been clear."

Kira had heard that name before. She leaned forward in her chair, all her attention focused on her father.

"Only ever 1 in 1000 births produced live offspring, effectively halting the Krogan population growth. They had to accept surrender. The Turians were offered a seat on the Citadel Council for their efforts in quelling the rebellions, while the Krogan have suffered the incurable effects of the Genophage ever since. Many have tried to cure the Genophage, there has been little if any progress."

Kira found this a little sad. She couldn't imagine having to live with that, knowing that your species was basically extinct.

"The Krogan are very bitter about this, understandably so. They basically single-handedly destroyed the Rachni and they were being punished for it. Most, if not all, Krogan have given up trying to find a cure and have resigned themselves to their inevitable extinction. They have become completely self-interested and pursue a more solitary life as mercenaries, selling their muscle to the highest bidder."

Jason sighed deeply, "I for one hope that one day a cure shall come to light."

Kira was sure that someone had to still be working on a cure. Whether it was too late now was another matter. The Krogan had already spread far and wide, which would make it difficult to relay the news. Still, when the odds were not in your favor, all you had was hope. Jason clapped his hands together.

"Anyway, I believe I have rambled on long enough," he checked his omni-tool, then looked over to Kira, "Look at the time, you'd better get off to bed. We don't want a grumpy Kira now, do we?"

Kira tried her best to hide a yawn, "But dad, I'm not tired."

Hannah chuckled, "Come on now."

Kira reluctantly made her way to her room, her parents following close behind her. She climbed into bed and her parents tucked her in.

"Night squirt."

"Night sweetie."

Kira mumbled, "Night."

Her mother turned off the light and pulled her door to. Kira couldn't sleep, not yet. Her head was still spinning with so many unanswered questions.

She vowed that one day, she would find the answers.

* * *

This was the point where Admiral Hackett was to speak again. Hannah was grateful for this. She didn't think she could talk about her husband in great detail. Even if she had accepted his death, it did not make it any easier. No matter how much time passed, it still hurt to think about Jason.

She glanced back at Hackett to signal that she was finished. He nodded briefly in acknowledgement before standing again and taking his position at the front of the stage. Hackett had certainly aged since Hannah last saw him. His face was covered in deep lines and scars, ones he had acquired from his many years of military service. The crowd waited for his speech. Hackett placed his hands behind his back, standing tall as he spoke with a calm confidence he had perfected during his years of promotion.

"Jason Shepard was a very hard working individual, always going beyond the call of duty. He took pride in his work, and wanted to ensure that he always did the right thing."

Jason had been the man to go to if a situation became dire. He thrived under pressure, able to maintain calm and collected even in the most dangerous of missions. His tendency to make light of the situation with his wry and sarcastic humor helped to ease the anxieties and worries of those he worked alongside.

Hackett straightened as he continued, "His methods were unconventional, yet that was the reason he was able to excel. He did have a habit of bending certain rules, however no-one could argue that this got the results we required, and much more. This quality of his ensured his quick string of promotions, however also made him enemies along the way."

Hackett recalled many a time he had received a complaint over Jason, complaints that were made out of jealousy or anger over his success. Jason himself was not one for all the politics of military life. He just wanted to do his job without having to be constantly brought under fire.

He scanned the crowds below him. In many ways, Jason and Kira Shepard were very alike. They were both loyal, hard-working, kind and honest. Equally, they didn't forgive those who had wronged those they loved easily. Hackett briefly wondered how many of the people here today had doubted Jason's daughter at one time or another as they had with Jason, however this thought was only fleeting.

Hackett's booming voice echoed around the Presidium, the crowds listening with rapt attention, "Jason did not play the games that many in this line of work seem almost inevitably drawn to. He couldn't care less for the political implications of his actions, he only knew that in the heat of battle good men and women could be saved or lost, and he worked his damned hardest to make sure as many as possible lived to see another day."

Flexibility was required to truly enable victory, a fact Jason knew all too well. This is an ethos Hackett was glad passed onto Shepard, it's what had allowed them to win the war against the Reapers. He was a creative soldier, and several of the victories he gave his team had been achieved through exploiting weaknesses and a calculating ruthlessness.

He had been very popular among the recruits especially. He always took the time to help those he saw with potential. If you proved yourself and earned his respect, he would offer you everything he had. However, he did not take lightly to those who abused his kindness with their silver tongues and empty promises.

Hackett paused for a moment as his speech was coming to a close. He would never truly ever be able to encapsulate the man who was Jason Shepard in this short space of time, he had barely scratched the surface of his achievements, however Hackett hoped that he had done his memory justice.

"The day Jason Shepard passed marked a very sad day for the Alliance and for us all. That day we lost a dedicated soldier and a loyal friend. The galaxy became a lesser place because of it."

Hannah's heart sank as she recalled breaking the news to Kira and how devastated she had been. No matter how old you were, the death of a parent affected you in ways you would never have imagined, especially when you were fifteen.

* * *

 **3rd August 2169 (Kira Aged 15)**

It had been 3 days since they received the news, the worst 3 days of Hannah's life. Hackett himself had come to deliver it personally.

She had been overseeing the simulation, making minor adjustments to ensure maximum efficiency. They took a lot of additional calibrating to keep running smoothly, on top of the normal maintenance that these computers usually required. Thankfully, the VIs they used helped a great deal. Hannah didn't think anything the Alliance did would be possible without them, but even these needed to be checked regularly, especially the older models.

"XO Shepard," the gruff voice brought Hannah out of her focus.

She turned to see Steven Hackett stood there, his posture straight and his hands behind his back. Hackett had always been an impressive man and she had an immense amount of respect for him, as did everyone else who had any sense. Not many could quiet a room with a single stare quite like Hackett. His stoic expression was one they had all come to expect.

"Captain Hackett."

Hannah jerked in shock, snapping to attention in a sharp salute. His usually cold, steely eyes were softer. Hannah wondered what had caused this, but did not question.

"May I have a word with you, in private?"

Hannah felt vaguely startled. They had spoken a few times, however she did not serve under Hackett. The only reason he would need to talk extensively to her was because of… Jason. This thought made her a little uneasy, however she didn't want to panic yet.

"Of course sir. Just let me tell the crew."

He nodded briefly as Hannah turned back to explain to the crew. After a moment, she followed Hackett. He took her to his office and they sat in silence for a few moments. He shifted in his chair and sighed, "Shepard, I'm afraid I have some bad news… bad is a complete understatement."

Hannah felt a stir of dread as her stomach sank. She prepared herself for the worst possible scenario, the one every single family of a military member feared. She prayed that this was not the case.

The next few words Hackett spoke hit her with immense force. Her mind short circuited. His lips moved, but she didn't register them. No amount of preparation would ever make this even remotely fine. She just sat there, feeling empty.

"I'm sorry," the Captain stood, and let himself out of the room.

As the memory faded, Hannah sagged into the table -she'd long ago accepted that death was a part of military life- and buried her head in her arms.

They had planned to go to Earth for Kira's 16th birthday as a family, finally fulfilling the promise they had made all those years ago when Kira was 6… their family would never be complete without Jason.

When she told Kira, it had been the single most difficult thing Hannah had ever had to do, and she was sure it would remain that way for the rest of her life. Kira had not taken it well, not that Hannah had expected her to. Jason had been such a huge part of Kira's life, he had taught her so much... basically made her who she was.

Hannah sat there alone for a long time, thinking and feeling nothing. She decided to try again to get Kira to come out of her room. She had holed herself in there almost as soon as she had heard the news.

Hannah got up and made her way to Kira's room. She tapped gently on the door, but received no reply. Hannah thought it was best not to intrude on Kira's mourning. She wished there was more she could do for Kira, but there was nothing.

No-one could tell you how to mourn… only you yourself could decide that.

* * *

Jason's death had marked the start of the slow down spiral of Kira's life… one that the horrific events of Akuze had quickened.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and see you guys next time.**


	3. The Grieving Process

**Welcome back guys. It's been a while, but myself and Tyler finally have the next chapter to present to you.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: The Grieving Process**

 **Location: SSV Athens/ 23rd November 2169 (Kira aged 15)**

As Kira laid on her bed, tapping at her omni-tool as she tried to find some kind of distraction, she could hear voices from down the corridor. She recognized her mother, but not the other deeper voice. They had been talking for the best part of fifteen minutes and she had to admit that she was curious about the mystery guest. Her mom had told her to stay in her room, but that had only fueled her desire to investigate. So far she'd managed to clamp down on her inquisitiveness, but it was getting harder to resist by the second.

In a decisive movement, she slid off her bed and snuck over to her door, making sure not to hit into anything on her way out. She had to avoid making noise as much as possible if she didn't want to get caught. She wasn't dumb, she knew her dad wasn't coming home -the thought still sent a pulse of icy rage through her veins- and she felt she deserved to know what was coming next. That had to be what this was all about after all.

She managed to make her way out of her room without raising suspicion. She crept her way down the small corridor, her heart beating erratically in anticipation as she heard the hushed voices getting louder. One of the doors was slightly ajar, a sliver of light casting onto the floor just outside it. The voice she couldn't recognize was a rough, gravelly baritone that sounded as though he'd swallowed a couple dozen golf balls.

"...finally made the necessary arrangements. Naturally, it shall take place on Earth at 0900 hours. I suspect there will be a fair amount of attendees there. Jason was well respected. If there is anything further you require, do not hesitate to contact me. I shall forward the finalized plans closer to the time."

They were talking about her father. From the sounds of it, they were discussing his funeral. This though made Kira's heart feel heavy. She'd known it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. Eager to find out who the other voice belonged to, she peeked inside and saw her mother with another man standing in front of her. He wore an Alliance uniform, but she couldn't see who it was as his back was turned. That didn't narrow it down much. As she started mentally noting the most likely candidate for the man inside the room out of all the Alliance names she knew, her question was answered.

"Thank you, Captain Hackett," her mom's emotionally drained voice carried out of the crack in the door.

Hackett… Kira recognized that name from somewhere. Her dad had mentioned Hackett a few times and if she recalled correctly he nearly always had something positive to say.

"I only wish this meeting was to discuss more cheerful matters," Hackett morbidly commented with a sliver of warmth and sympathy in his response, one that didn't fit his otherwise gruff tone.

A dejected sigh filtered into the corridor, "As do I. I am glad to finally know what is happening at least. Anything to make this easier."

Kira was uncertain about how to react to this conversation. Ever since hearing about her father's death, she'd closed herself off and tried to ignore the very obvious pain of loss by holing up in her room and immersing herself in literally anything else to avoid thinking about it. Someone would no doubt either be insensitive enough to bring it up as a mockery or to try and console her, something she didn't want under any circumstances. She didn't need a constant outward reminder, not when she was struggling internally. It was easier to just stay out of everyone's way so the topic never came up.

There was a moment of silence, then Kira suddenly heard loud, echoing footsteps coming towards the door. She spun around and dashed frantically to her room, closing her door just in time to avoid getting caught, panting lightly from the sudden exertion.

As the footsteps faded away into silence, she leaned against the door to her bedroom, sliding down onto the floor and tangling her hands in her hair while trying desperately not to cry.

 _Dad..._

* * *

 **The Einstein - 3rd April 2170 (Kira Aged 15)**

A man stood at the front of the room, his eyes scanning over the few faces present. Either he didn't notice the positively bored expressions or he did a good job hiding it. His loud, booming voice echoed in the room, "Today we shall be discussing the SPECTREs and law enforcement/diplomatic relationships with the galaxy at large."

 _Of course by discuss, he meant lecture. These kind of people never took well to me actually trying to get involved. They just said I was being rude and out of line, threatening to kick me out of the lesson. I had long since given up trying to actively participate, no matter how much I wanted to._

The man paced a little way to the right, then stood upright with his hands behind his back and began to drone on at them in a monotonous tone, "The Council founded The Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch, or SPECTRE for short, in 693CE as a response to the aggressive Krogan expansion into Citadel space, shortly before the Krogan Rebellions and were modeled on the Salarian STG."

Kira finished off the notes she was making and took the chance to look around at her fellow students, some of whom looked as if they were about to fall asleep, while others seemed to be absolutely terrified of the well-built man in front of them. The man appeared to believe that teaching us was below him, at least if his twitching eyebrow, hardened jaw and mildly irritated expression were anything to go by.

 _Even if this lesson isn't delivered in the most exciting way, I still want to listen and learn. The quality of the teacher shouldn't dictate the usefulness of the information. It does make it harder to concentrate, but I should make sure to pay attention._

"The SPECTREs primary role was to observe, but also to be the Council's first line of defense. They were chosen from the top Salarian STG operatives and Asari huntresses, not to mention some of the Turian's best military operatives," he rolled his neck with a loud crack before pressing on, "The SPECTREs aided the Council at the time of the Krogan Rebellions."

He didn't divulge the particular ways in which they helped, not that Kira had expected him to. It was unlikely that the Alliance knew anything really top secret about the SPECTREs at this stage and if they did she highly doubted that they would be telling someone like her. Still she had felt a brief glimmer of hope that he might have divulged a bit more, or at the very least adopted a tone that denoted how enthralling all this information actually was.

 _I bet it was something really top secret and effective. Maybe one day I can find out._

"Their task after the rebellions was to preserve galactic stability at whatever cost," the man crossed his huge muscled arms across his broad chest and continued, "All SPECTRE records are sealed and only the Council can give permission for them to be accessed. Each SPECTRE is personally chosen by the Council after proving their outstanding ability and self-reliance," at this point he was simply rattling off information, not really engaging with any of it, which was nothing new, "The choosing of a SPECTRE often gives their race a high profile on the Citadel. Many races have yet to have had a SPECTRE chosen, even though they have been part of the Citadel Embassies for centuries."

 _I wonder how many SPECTREs there have been? I doubt there would be that many if they're supposed to be the best the galaxy can offer. I wonder which races have had a SPECTRE so far?_

The endless stream of questions bounced around in her head and desperately demanded answers. There was no point asking though, not this military grunt anyway who looked like he wanted to be doing anything literally else right now than stand in this room and talk at them. For Kira, who wanted to learn everything she could about the galaxy, found this situation infuriating.

The man's jaw tightened a little as he saw he had lost a some of the students. He suddenly slammed his fist down on the desk at the front, causing a few heads to snap up to attention and others to cower away from the noise. He scowled at them momentarily and then spoke again, "Candidates usually have some military or law enforcement experience before they are even considered. The screening process involves background checks, psychological evaluations, and a long period of field training under an experienced mentor."

 _It would be cool to meet a SPECTRE one day. Maybe ask them how to deal with that kind of freedom._

"Humanity was only granted an embassy in 2165CE, 8 years after the First Contact War," the man mentioned briefly, not going into any further detail about the war itself. Kira propped her chin on her hand and sighed deeply, feeling unfulfilled by his vagueness.

 _Dad would have gone over everything,_ she thought, _he would have explained it all to me without question. We would spend hours at a time building up the whole picture, going off on tangents… but this guy doesn't look like he's that interested._

"Since humanity was a recent addition to the Council races, it is unlikely we shall see a human SPECTRE any time soon," the man's expression hardened considerably at this point, "not for want of trying I am sure."

 _Maybe I'll be able to see that moment. I bet dad would have made a good SPECTRE,_ she slumped in her chair a little at this day without her father she found the void in her heart growing larger, one day she feared it would completely consume her.

* * *

 **August 2170 (Kira Aged 16)**

Kira sat at the small metal desk in her room, tinkering around with an old VI system she'd managed to salvage from the lower decks of the ship. They had tons of interesting cast-offs there that were half fixed or had parts missing, often discarded the second a newer model was released. They still kept a few of the older techs for teaching purposes and spare parts if needed, which gave her the perfect opportunity to get some practice in.

She had always been fascinated by anything electronic, especially when it was something as advanced as a VI. They had so many purposes, from handling data to enhancing weapon and armor upgrades among other things, as far as she had seen the possibilities were almost endless. This was the first time she had come across one that she might actually be able to get working again if she was able to find a few replacement parts, which shouldn't be too hard given the vast selection. There was almost always some newly abandoned project whenever she snuck down to the lower decks and she certainly had enough time on her hands…

She had been working on this particular project for about a couple of weeks now on and off. Someone really had done a number on this VI and there had been quite a few unforeseen complications, but she hadn't given up and was finally getting somewhere with it, much to her delight. She had always been persistent, a trait she shared with her father.

She stopped what she was doing, her brow furrowing at the thought of Jason Shepard. It had been just over a year and half since they'd received the news of his death. She had hoped that with time, the pain of loss would have lessened, but if anything it had increased, especially considering how little she saw of her mother these days because of her new post. Things had been tough on both of them over the past year or so and they had started to slowly drift apart.

Desperate to rid herself of this sudden wave of sadness, she focused her attention back on the VI. If she distracted herself enough, she wouldn't have the time or energy to think about the past… that was the plan anyway. She shifted in the chair and looked around for the next part she needed. She clicked her omni-tool and let the music start, before picking up the metal rod and going to town on a circuit board.

 _ **The wolves will chase you in the pale moonlight/ Drunk and driven by the Devil's hunger**_

 _ **Drive your son like a railroad spike/ into the water let it pull him under**_

 _ **Oh baby it's a long way down to the Bottom of the River/ long way down, long way down**_

Kira gently hummed along and tapped her foot to the beat as she worked, now completely engrossed in her attempts to restore the disassembled VI sat on her desk. She regarded each piece with a scrutinizing stare, turning it over in her hand before either placing it to one side or dropping it with a slight metallic clang into a small box at her feet ready to discard later. She was in her element now and time passed by without her really noticing. She was vaguely aware of the changes in the music playlist she'd chosen and the occasional sound of footsteps echoing around the hallway from behind her door, but she wasn't really paying attention to anything other than what she was working on. The only thing that finally distracted her was the very noticeable grumbling of her stomach and the constricting tiredness passing over her mind.

She reluctantly slumped back in her chair, glancing down at the progress she'd made today. If she really pushed herself, she could probably get this finished off in two weeks, maybe sooner as long as there weren't any other unexpected issues. She rolled her shoulders and gathered the various pieces together, stashing them underneath her bed before making her way out of her room to get something to eat. The food here was designed to be packed full of all the necessary nutrients and vitamins humans needed to keep ticking… but that didn't mean they tasted any good. Once she'd acquired the meal, she trudged back to her room with it and carefully flopped down on her bed. There was a communal eating hall on the ship, but she didn't want to face other people as per usual.

She fiddled around with her omni-tool, trying to find that vid she had been wanting to watch for the past week but hadn't gotten around to yet. When she'd found it, she leaned back against the wall and began playing with the unappetizing food, pushing it around the container as she watched. After a few moments, she placed the half eaten food on the side, stopped the vid and laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. This is how most days passed her by now and it was getting harder to break out of the routine the longer she passively participated in it.

Just as her eyes began to close, a sharp high-pitched alarm filled the air immediately rousing her. Alarms were never a good sign. She could hear a lot of footsteps and shuffling outside, suggesting that a lot of people were now on the move. Before she really had the chance to even wonder what was going on, an emergency vid message popped up on her omni-tool and began to play.

 **We have been alerted of an emergency distress call from a human colony on Mindoir. ETA to the Attican Traverse: one hour.**

The message abruptly cut off. Kira stared down at her omni-tool for a moment, letting the message sink in. She had been aboard when a ship had answered a distress call before, but none of them had felt quite as urgent as this. It would explain the sudden surge of activity outside her room. All able soldiers would be deployed, her mother included, while the rest of them would stay aboard and wait until further notice. As much as she wanted to go out along with everyone else to help, there was nothing she could do… as frustrating as that was. All she could do now was sit tight.

It would be a few weeks before the exact details of the Mindoir Raids came to light, and even longer before any of them became publically available. Batarian slavers had slaughtered most of the colonists while those unfortunate enough not to die straight away were subjected to horrific treatment, the details of which were kept on a need to know basis. Alliance troops were ultimately unable to drive back the Batarian forces and had to watch the colonists suffer. This violent attack left many, including Kira, wondering why.

It was at this point where she seriously considered joining the Alliance. She had been toying with the idea for a while. Both her parents had been in the Alliance and she herself was desperate to find out more about the galaxy and alien species in general, but it hadn't been until now that she felt really compelled to enlist up beyond idle curiosity.

* * *

"That was a turning point," Hannah said, "looking back, I feel like that first taste was meant to happen."

After that, Kira's determination to follow her and Jason into the Alliance was cemented. She had always suspected that her daughter might join up eventually, but neither of them had wanted to force her into it. They had of course briefly discussed it with her at various points, each time Kira being the one to bring it up. She had a healthy fascination about the galaxy and everything in it, so it was only natural that she would search for a way to experience it fully for herself. Additionally, the barbaric events of the Mindoir Raids hit home how fragile humanity's position was in the grand scheme of things and so needed the Alliance to have a sizable, competent force to protect those who needed them.

"That figures," Garrus remarked wryly, "She was never specific when I asked, good to know I know her as well as she knows me," the sarcasm was strong with this one.

"You can hardly blame Kira for being private," Miranda rebuked Garrus, a fond note in her Australian dulcet.

"Come now, Garrus," Liara chipped in, "There is no harm in a little mystery now and then."

"That's rich coming from someone like you," Garrus grumbled quietly, "It's not like much evades your attention now."

"You forget Garrus," Miranda countered, "It was my job for two years to learn everything there was to know about her."

"I don't know how loudly you should be declaring that," Liara mentioned. She had learned a thing or two about subtlety and the dangers of laying all your cards on the table since acquiring the extensive Shadow Broker network. She was certain that the Alliance, and many others, would be paying close attention to this entire event. There were many questions they needed answers to, especially on the part of Cerberus.

Miranda gave an elegant shrug, "Why not?" she smirked, clearly a challenge, "It's not like I'm in any more danger now than I was during the war. Besides, I've fought with some of the best assassins in the business. And survived. Not to mention without Shepard none of us would be here anyway." she said, clearly feeling her work was vindicated with the result of the Lazarus Project.

"As cocky as ever I see, not that I would expect anything less from a Cerberus cheerleader," Jack snorted as she crossed her arms.

"From someone like you, I'll take that as a borderline compliment," Miranda noted.

This was probably the least antagonistic comment she had heard from Jack in all the time they'd known one another, which actually said a lot about how much they'd changed while traveling with Shepard. She had been the only person capable of preventing them from tearing each other's heads off and that had not been an easy feat in the slightest. They had not been the only ones in Shepard's mismatched crew to butt heads. With tensions running that high, it was to be expected, especially considering the fact that Shepard rarely turned down potential allies, no matter their race or background. She was certainly much more open minded than most humans, especially those in organizations like Cerberus and even within the Alliance itself to a lesser extent, soldiers such as Ashley Williams had proven that.

With the various comments from Shepard's motley crew having been voiced, Hannah continued, "Kira worked hard over the next two years to prepare herself for the Alliance. She almost completely withdrew from everything else and focused all her energy on pursuing her goal. Almost the second she turned eighteen, she enlisted. I was so proud of her…" she took a moment to gather her thoughts, "and I know my husband would have been too."

Jason would have been such an embarrassment, gushing about his daughter to anyone who was willing to lend an ear… and many who weren't. Her heart felt heavy in her chest at the thought of this, knowing that both her and Kira would do just about anything to see him one more time without hesitation, quirks and all.

The next part she had to discuss, her daughter's military career before her assignment to the Normandy, would be difficult to say the least… all because of Akuze.

* * *

 **Have a great day guys, stay safe out there and we'll see you next time.**


End file.
